The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-10
LOST AT SEA.
A German Ship Sinks on the vlrginlan
Coast and All the Crew Lost.
Five Members of the Life-Saving
Force Perish In Discharge Of
Their Duty.
Terrible sufferings of Men In Blind
ing Snow Storm.

NORFOLK, Va, Jan. S.-One of the most
disastrous shipwrecks which ever occurred
on the Virginia coast happened at 2 o'clock
this morning, IA miles south of Cape Henry.
Not less than 20, and probably more, lives
were lost, among them five life-saving men,
who in discharge of their duty were
drowned, The morning was bitterly cold
and binding snow storm prevailed, with
the wind blowing gale from the northeast.
During lull in the storm the life-saying pa
troll from the Little Island station, sighted a
large ship stranded on the bar about 300
yards from shore. The Dam Neck patrol
was only short distance away when the
vessel was sighted, and both patrols fired
rockets to notify the crew of the stranded
ship that she had been seen. They hurried
back to their respective stations and gave
the alarm.
In little while both crews with life boats
and apparatus were abreast of the wreck
and the boom of the mortar announced that
a life line had been shot out to the ill-fated
vessel. The shot was unsuccessful and a
second was fired with like result. After fir
ing six unsuccessful shots the life-saving
men determined to brave the furious sea and
IDt u6dtu WHICH St6Intu certain 10 await
their venture. The word Of command being
given by Captain Belanza Of life-saying No.
A, known as the Little Island, six expert
boatmen manned each boat At the command
the men gave way with will, and in a mo-
ment both boats were breasting the furious
waves.
They reached the ship in safety, and five
of the ships crew were taken into life boats
and ten in the ships boats which was
launched for the purpose. The boats were
headed for shore and not word was spoken,
for each man realized the awful peril which
surrounded them. With steady pull the
two boats were making good headway for
shore when wave Of great power struck
both boats, capsizing them instantly and
and pitched their % occupants into the boil
ing sea. Then began a desperate struggle
for life, and with many of them 1t was pro-
longed. .0ne. The drowning men were carried
southwark by seas and some of them were
washed ashore. AS they came within reach
they werepicked up and endeavors were
made to revive them, and in two instances
with success, although one of the two is bad
ly injured.
The vessel is the German ship Elizabeth,
Captain Halberstad, from Hamburg to Balti-
more, and not one of the crew survives the
wreck. Her cargo is unknown, as the high
seas have thus far prevented any attempt to
reach her. 1t is thought she is leaking bad
ly and at sunset her masts were thought to
be giving away.
OF the life-saving crew the following were
lost: Abel Belanza, captain of No. 4; j. w.
Land, Of the same station; Geo: w. Stone, OF
same: j. A. BelanZa, OF Dam Neck station,
and a brother of Abel; Joseph Sprattler of
Dam Neck. John Etheridge and Frank Tai
ford of No. station, were washed ashore
and rescuscitated, but Etheridge is so badly
injured that it is thought he cannot survive.